Principles of
Child Development (85-221) Fall 2008
Cognitive, Language, or Social
Observation Paper Assignment
Due: Nov 13th in class
(50 points –
22.5% of course grade)
The
goal of this mandatory paper assignment
is to relate naturalistic observations of young children or infants to the
themes, theories, and research you are studying.
1)
Answer ONE of the following
questions via naturalistic observation.
How
advanced is the language development of preschoolers and kindergartners?
Preparatory Reading: Siegler et al.
Chapter 6
Observe the language development
of preschoolers and kindergartners during lunch time at the Children’s
School. Compare and contrast the
preschoolers and kindergartners with respect to at least two of the following
features: comprehension vs. production abilities, phonology, syntax, semantics,
and pragmatics, and use of gesture to augment speech. Note any gender and/or culture differences
that are evident. If there are bilingual
children present, note the effectiveness of their communication compared to the
other children. Are there any striking
individual differences? What strategies
do the teachers use to facilitate language development? How does the
environment (e.g., room arrangement, materials) support language development?
How
advanced is the cognitive development of preschoolers and kindergartners?
Preparatory Reading: Siegler et al.,
Chapter 4, Chapter 7
Observe the cognitive development
of preschoolers and kindergartners during activity time at the
Children’s School. Compare and contrast
the preschoolers and kindergartners with respect to a variety of cognitive
skills (at least two) from within the following categories: preoperational
thinking, concept development, understanding psychological states, attention,
memory, and problem-solving skills. Note
any gender and/or culture differences that are evident. Are there any striking
individual differences (e.g., giftedness, retardation, etc.)? What strategies do the teachers use to
facilitate cognitive development? How does the environment (e.g., room
arrangement, materials) support cognitive development?
How
does the sex of a child affect the social interactions of preschoolers and
kindergartners?
Preparatory Reading: Siegler et al.,
Chapter 9, Chapter 13, Chapter 15 (plus lots of other places - use the subject
index).
Observe the social interactions of
girls and boys during free play at the Children's School. Compare
and contrast the girls and the boys with respect to at least two of the
following features: social approaches, social behaviors, gender composition of
play groups, enforcement of gender roles by peers, cross-gender behavior, sex
segregation, differences in play types depending on the gender mix of the play
group, etc. Note any striking cultural differences that are evident. Are there
striking individual differences? What strategies do the teachers use to
encourage or discourage sex-typed behavior? How does the environment (e.g.,
room arrangement, materials) affect gender development?
**If you would like to study a question
of your own design, you need permission from Dr. Rakison in writing (email
is fine).
2)
Go to the Children's School Entry Door by the Reese Cluster in Margaret Morrison
to schedule two 30-minute observations on
the sheets posted there. Only one person
can reserve each time slot box on the sheet - there are two slots for
each time at the Children’s School. Observations are scheduled at the following
times.
Children’s
School (Margaret Morrison) Mon.-Thur.
|
|
Preschool (33-57 months) |
Kindergarten (57-69 months) |
|
Language
Skills during Activity/Lunch |
12:15-12:45
pm (Red
Rm) |
11:15-11:45
am (Kindergarten) |
|
Cognitive
Skills during Activity Time |
9:45
– 10:15 am (Red,
Blue & Green Rm) 1:30-2:00
pm (M/W) (Blue
& Green Rm) |
9:45-10:15
am 10:15-10:45
am (Kindergarten) |
|
Gender
& Social Interaction during
Free Play (and perhaps the beginning of Circle time) |
8:45
– 9:15 am (Red,
Blue & Green Rm) 12:45
– 1:15 pm (Blue
& Green Room) |
8:45
- 9:15 am 1:45-2:15
pm (M/W) (Kindergarten) |
Reservations
must be made by Sunday for the upcoming week.
Important: You must sign
up for a slot as soon as possible. Extra
credit (2 points on the assignment) will be given to those who sign up for
both sessions by Sunday 19th
October). Failure to complete both assignments due to late sign-up will
cannot be used as grounds for late submission of the paper. In addition, extra credit (2 points) will be given
to students who complete both observations by 23rd October (that is, in the first two weeks after you
receive this handout).
Also important: Call Mrs.
Smith (412-268-2199) if you need to cancel your observation so that another student
can use your time slot. If nobody answers the phone, leave a message with
day and time of observation and your name. It is then your responsibility
to come back to reschedule.
3)
Learn about your observation site
via the web at www.psy.cmu.edu/childrensschool. Also, do the recommended preparatory reading
before you come to the observation session.
Finally, to get the most out of your observations, prepare a checklist or
observation form including items listed with the question above. However, since the unexpected is to be
expected when observing children, you should also be prepared to note
interesting behaviors that are not specifically listed.
4)
Report to the Children's School a few minutes before your scheduled observation
time. Use the intercom to ring for
entry. Go to the main office to sign in and get your nametag. Mrs. Smith or another staff member will
escort you to the location to conduct your observation. Be sure to turn off your cellphone!
5)
Conduct at least two 30-minute observation
sessions relevant to your question -- one session for each age level
(Preschool and Kindergarten). Submit your notes and a diagram of the
space (NO need to type!) with your final paper.
Guidelines for Observation
• Watch from a distance, preferably in a
sitting position. Do not join the
group or interfere with children's
activities. In other words, be unobtrusive.
• Cooperate with the teachers and
refrain from talking.
• If a child approaches you for help
(e.g., shoe tying) or conversation,
keep the interaction as brief as
politely possible.
6)
Answer your question in an essay. Be
sure to include each of the following components:
a.
State the question being addressed and indicate its relevance for
understanding child development and working with young children. (4 points)
b.
Briefly describe the context for addressing the question, including site
characteristics, day, date, activity and time of observation. (4 points)
c.
Summarize your observations, making sure to cover all the observation
guidelines. (15 points)
d.
Relate your observations to specific concepts, research findings, and
theories discussed in class or in the text.
Cite at least three studies/theories to support your opinions (with
names of the researchers/theories). (15
points)
e.
Draw conclusions about the meaning of what you observed. (4 points)
Your
paper should be 4-5 double-spaced, typed pages, written clearly and concisely
in an organized essay format, without spelling or grammatical errors (5
points). Remember to give the paper a title that summarizes the study and place
your NAME on the paper. Please attach ALL of your observation notes to your
paper (3 points). Be sure to include a
reference page that lists all of the empirical and theoretical work you have
cited in the paper. All papers are due
on Thursday, November 13th by the beginning of class.
Timeline for
Observations Weeks of Oct 13th, 20th, 27th,
Nov 3rd, and Nov. 10th (three days)
IMPORTANT: Sign
up at the Children’s School ASAP. I will not accept as an excuse for a late
paper that you did not manage to get a time slot. Extra credit (2 points on the
assignment) will be given to those who sign up for both sessions by October 19th.
In addition, extra credit (2 points) will
be given to students who complete both observations by 23rd October.